Belt splices

ABSTRACT

The invention disclosed is a splice for connecting the ends of conveyor belting and the like formed from at least two relatively rigid fasteners. Each fastener is attached to at least one of the belt ends to be spliced by rivets through the fastener and the belt end. The rivets are arranged in two or more rows. The first row of rivets is mounted in holes in the fastener of such a shape as to allow substantially no relative movement between the fastener, the belt and the rivets passing therethrough. At least one other row of rivets is positioned further from the end of the belt than the first row and is mounted through the fastener in elongated slots inclined at an angle to the longitudinal centerline of the belt so that longitudinal movement between the rivets and the fastener in a direction along the belt is allowed concurrently with the transfer of load between the belt and the fastener.

United States Patent Francois Feb. 1,1972

[21] Appl. No.: 47,444

[52] US. Cl. ..24/3l B, 24/33 B [51] Int. Cl ..Fl6g 3/00 [58] FieldofSearch ..l98/l93;28/72.3; 24/31, 33;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 89,820 5/1869 Walker..24/31H 0/1909 Great Britain ..24/33 B 0/1921 Great Britain ..24/31 BPrimary ExaminerDonald A. Griffin Attorney-Steven H. Bazerman [57]ABSTRACT The invention disclosed is a splice for connecting the ends ofconveyor belting and the like formed from at least two relatively rigidfasteners. Each fastener is attached to at least one of the belt ends tobe spliced by rivets through the fastener and the belt end. The rivetsare arranged in two or more rows. The first row of rivets is mounted inholes in the fastener of such a shape as to allow substantially norelative movement between the fastener, the belt and the rivets passingtherethrough. At least one other row of rivets is positioned furtherfrom the end of the belt than the first row and is mounted through thefastener in elongated slots inclined at an angle to the longitudinalcenterline of the belt so that longitudinal movement between the rivetsand the fastener in a direction along the belt is allowed concurrentlywith the transfer of load between the belt and the fastener.

13 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures a \\QOOOOQ mama] ram. @972 sum 1 Br 3 IINVENTOR.

ATTORNEY PATENTEI] EB 1 72 SHEEI 3 [IF 3 INVENTOK J V m-.8 BY

ATTORNEY BELT SPLICES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present inventionrelates to a mechanical splice for connecting the ends of conveyorbelting and the like and, more specifically, to a splice and a fastenerfor use in the splice wherein load is transmitted between the splice andthe belting by two or more rows of rivets mounted in each of thefasteners forming the splice.

Splices for conveyor belting and the like, using at least one rigidU-shaped member riveted to each of the belt ends to be spliced, are aknown expedient as can be seen, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. l,075,078issued to Wilkinson on Oct. 7, 1913. However, with such prior artarrangements the tensile forces that a spliced conveyor belt canwithstand in use are considerably less than the tensile forces than anunspliced portion of the belt can withstand. The premature fastenerfailure or pullout" of the belt at the rivets is a result of high strainconcentration around the rivets. While increasing the number of rivetsin a single row increases the maximum pullout load, a practical limit issoon reached when just enough fastener material is left between therivets to sustain the tensile force developed in the fastener. Attemptsto increase the maximum pullout load by increasing the number of rows ofrivets do not in fact significantly increase the maximum pullout load.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes the problem oflow pullout load through the r ealization that multiple rows or rivetsdo not increase maximum pullout load because of the difference inelongation between the belt and fastener under load. The belt isnormally made of a composite of fairly elastic materials such as rayon,nylon, polyester or equivalent fibers, cords or fabrics coated with suchmaterials as neoprene, styrene-butadiene rubber, butyl rubber,polyurethane, or polyvinyl chloride plastic. Belts so constructedstretch appreciably under load. In contrast, the fastener and rivets arenormally constructed of a relatively rigid material such as steel andbrass. When under given load the belt stretches between consecutive rowsof rivets while the fasteners and rivets do not deform, next to no loadis transferred between the fastener and the belt at any but the row ofrivets farthest from the belt end in each fastener. The splice of thepresent invention, however, successfully uses multiple rows of rivets oneach fastener. Only some of the rows of rivets secure the fastener tothe belt in such a manner as to substantially prevent relative movementbetween the belt and fastener. At least one additional row of rivetspasses through the fastener and belt while concurrently permitting someappreciable transfer to load between the belt and the fastener at theadditional row of rivets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be clearlyunderstood in connec tion with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of an unloaded conveyor belt spliced bymeans of the preferred embodiment of fastener according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a plane view of the splice of FIG. 1 under load; FIG. 3 is atransverse section taken on the line I-I of FIG.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are plane views of additional embodiments of splicesaccording to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, abelt splice is seen having at least two U-shaped fasteners 2 and 3attached to belt ends 4 and 5 and held together by a hinge pin 6. Onwider belts more than one fastener may be used for each end. TheU-shaped fasteners 2 and 3 are notched to form interfitting fingers 7and 8 respectively. The fingers 7 and 8 interact with belt ends 4 and 5to form a tube or hollow cylinder in which hinge pin 6 is mounted. Thehinge pin 6 may be of any suitable construction so that it will remaininserted when the splice is in use, such as the one seen in the patentto Wilkinson previously cited.

Each fastener 2 and 3 is attached to its respective belt ends 4 and 5 byat least two rows of rivets 9, 10, l1 and 12. Each rivet in the rows 10and II closest to the locking pin 6 is mounted through a close fittingcircular opening or orifice 14 in the fastener and through the belt endin such a manner as to permit substantially no relative movement betweenthe fastener and the belt under load, i.e., no movement other than thatdue to the stretching of the belt. As seen in FIG. 3, in order to permitthe rivets to be mounted flush with the outer surface of the fastener,the sides of the orifice may be beveled or stepped.

The rivets in the outer rows 9 and 12 are fixedly mounted in the beltends and slidably mounted in angled slots 15 in the fasteners 2 and 3such that relative movement is possible between the belt and fastener atslots 15 while permitting the load to be transmitted between the beltand fastener at the outer rows of rivets 9 and 12. The slots 15 may alsohave beveled or stepped sides to permit flush mounting of the rivets.

The slots 15 are in two groups, each group angled in alternate directionfrom the other to balance and eliminate rotation of the fastener underload. This may also be accomplished by having separate rows of slots indifferent directions, by alternating every other slot or any otherpattern of slots 15 which will balance out the rotational forces.

As the angle the slots 15 make with a line drawn transversely across thebelt approaches zero, less and less relative movement is allowed betweenthe belt and the fastener. Ultimately, as the angle nears zero, thepattern for the transfer of load approaches that of a fastener havingtwo fixed rows. Equally, when the angle approaches less and less load istransmitted between the fastener and the belt. It is felt that with mostbelt materials in use today, the angle should lie between 30 and 60. v

By this arrangement, load is effectively allowed to be transmittedbetween two or more rows of fasteners and the belt despite theelongation of the belt between the rivets while under load. The majorportion of load is carried by rivet rows 10 and 11, but a substantialincrement of load is carried by rows 9 and 12.

Another embodiment of the present invention is seen in FIG. 4. In orderto strengthen the metal fasteners 2 and 3, the inner portions 25 offingers 7 and 8 may be rounded, eliminating areas of strainconcentration. Additionally, to maximize the amount of metal in thefastener between rivets, the rivet orifices 14 may be slightly staggeredas shown, Of course, they should not be spaced so as to form separaterows, i.e., the diameter of an orifice 14 should be equal to or greaterthan the distance between the centerlines 20 and 21 of the slightlystaggered orifices 14 which will house rivet row 10.

The present invention may also be used in conjunction with a plate-typefastener as shown in FIG. 5. Instead of having two separate fasteners 2and 3 joined by a hinge pin 6, rigid plates 22 are placed across bothsides of belt ends 4 and 5 and attached by rows of rivets 9-12. Therivets are positioned in orifices l4 and slots 15 in the plates 22. Theorifices 14 and slots 15 are of a shape and positioned as taught withregard to the other embodiments of this invention. The rivet slots, andorifices cooperate in the same manner as with the other embodimerits.

While I have disclosed several specific embodiments of the presentinvention, it is to be understood that these are exemplary only and thatother further variations could be made while staying within the spiritof this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to beprotected by Letters Patent is:

l. A splice for conveyor belting and the like comprising:

a belt with two ends to be spliced and two rigid members,

each rigid member being attached to at least one of the belt ends to bespliced by prising:

a rigid member adapted to be attached by attaching means to at least oneend ofa belt to be spliced,

said member having a plurality of orifices for receiving the attachingmeans therein, consisting of a first two rows of orifices and a secondtwo rows of orifices in the form of slots,

said second two rows of slots being at an angle to the iongitudinal axisof a belt properly positioned relative to the fastener.

3. A splice for conveyor belting and the like comprising:

a belt with two ends to be spliced,

two rigid U-shaped members;

each of said U-shaped member having its legs surrounding one end ofabelt to be spliced;

each of said U-shaped members having a curved surface forming the bottomof the U interrupted by slots to form interengaging fingers with saidother U-shaped member;

a hinge pin passing through said interengaging fingers for holding therespective U-shaped members together;

each of said U-shaped member having a first attaching means fixing aportion of the belt to the U-shaped member so that substantially norelative movement is allowed between the U-shaped member, the belt andthe first attaching means; and a second attaching means, further fromthe curved surface forming the bottom of the U than said first means,for allowing relative movement between the belt and the U-shaped memberwhile concurrently permitting the transfer of load at the secondattaching means.

4. A fastener for splicing conveyor belting and the like comprising:

a U-shaped member adapted to be attached by an attaching means to one ofthe belt ends to be spliced,

said U-shaped member comprising an upper plate and a lower plate and aslotted curved portion connecting said upper and lower plates,

said slotted curved portion being adapted to interengage with the curvedportion of at least one other U-shaped member,

said upper plate and said lower plate being adapted to engage therespective opposite faces of one of the ends of the belt to be spliced,

said upper plate and lower plate each having a plurality of orifices forreceiving an attaching means therein,

said orifices in each plate consisting of a first row of orifices and asecond row of orifices, said second row being farther from said curvedportion than said first row and the orifice in said second row being inthe form of slots at an angle to the longitudinal axis of a beltproperly positioned in the space between said plates, the orifices insaid first and second row in each plate being aligned with thecorresponding orifices in the other plate.

5. A fastener according to claim 4 wherein some of the angled slotsforming the second row are slanted in opposite directions so thatrotational forces are balanced out.

6. A fastener according to claim 4 wherein said first row of orificesare slightly staggered from each other in a longitudinal direction alongthe belt.

7. A fastener according to claim 4 wherein the angled slots of thesecond row of orifices are formed in one direction and a third row ofslotted orifices farther from said curved portion than said second roware slanted in the opposite direction from said first row.

8. A splice for conveyor belts and the like comprising: a belt with twoends to be spliced,

at least two U-shaped members adapted to be attached around the beltends that are to be spliced,

each of said U-shaped members comprising an upper plate and a lowerplate,

said upper plate and said lower plate engaging the respective oppositefaces of the belt ends,

said upper and lower plate being connected by a curved portion formingthe bottom of the U,

said curved portion having slots cut therein to form interengagingfingers with said other U-shaped member,

a hinge pin passing through said interengaging fingers for holding therespective U-shaped members together, there being a first row oforifices close to the hinge pin in each of the U-shaped members upperand lower plate, a rivet in each of said orifices and adapted to extendthrough said belt for the connecting of said upper and lower plates withsaid belt,

the cross section of each of said first orifices and its respectiverivet being of such a configuration that under load there issubstantially no relative movement allowed between said rivets and theU-shaped member,

there being a second row of orifices in each of the U-shaped membersupper and lower plates in the form of elongated slots further from thelocking pin than said first row, said slots being at an angle to thelongitudinal axis of the belt, a rivet being received in each of saidslots and extending through said belt, the slots being of such sizes andso positioned that under load, relative movement is permitted betweensaid rivets and said U-shaped member concurrently with the transfer ofload therebetween at the second row of orifices.

9. A splice according to claim 8 wherein said first row of orifices andrivets are slightly staggered from each other in a longitudinaldirection along the belt.

10. A splice according to claim 8 wherein some of the angled slotsforming the second row of orifices are slanted in opposite directions sothat rotational forces are balanced out.

1 l. A splice according to claim 8 wherein the angled slots of thesecond row of orifices are formed in one direction and a third row ofslotted orifices are formed farther from the locking pin than saidsecond row and slanted in the opposite direction from said first row.

12. A splice according to claim 8 wherein the slots in said upper andlower plates forming said interengaging fingers are curved in theportions of the slots farthest from the locking pins in order to reducestrain concentrations.

13. A splice for conveyor belts and the like comprising:

a belt with two ends to be spliced,

two rigid members adapted to be attached to the belt ends that are to bespliced,

one rigid member forming an upper plate and the other forming a lowerplate,

said upper plate and said lower plate engaging the respec tive oppositefaces of the belt ends,

said upper plate and said lower plate each have a first two rows oforifices close to where the belt ends are positioned when spliced, arivet in each of said orifices adapted to extend through said belt forthe connecting of said upper and lower plates with said belt,

the cross section of each of said first two rows of orifices and itsrespective rivet being of such a configuration that under load there issubstantially no relative movement allowed between the rivets and thetwo rigid members, there being two additional rows of orifices in saidupper and lower plates in the form of elongated slots further from wherethe belt ends meet than said first rows, on either side of said firsttwo rows, and at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the belt, whereinthe slots are of such sizes and so positioned that relative movement ispermitted between said rivets, said belt and said rigid membersconcurrently with the transfer of load therebetween.

1. A splice for conveyor belting and the like comprising: a belt withtwo ends to be spliced and two rigid members, each rigid member beingattached to at least one of the belt ends to be spliced by a firstattaching means fixing a portion of the belt to the rigid member so thatsubstantially no relative motion is allowed between the rigid member,the belt and the first attaching means, and a second attaching meansallowing relative movement between the belt and the rigid member whileconcurrently permitting the transfer of load longitudinally along thebelt at the second attaching means.
 2. A fastener for splicing conveyorbelting and the like comprising: a rigid member adapted to be attachedby attaching means to at least one end of a belt to be spliced, saidmember having a plurality of orifices for receiving the attaching meanstherein, consisting of a first two rows of orifices and a second tworows of orifices in the form of slots, said second two rows of slotsbeing at an angle to the longitudinal axis of a belt properly positionedrelative to the fastener.
 3. A splice for conveyor belting and the likecomprising: a belt with two ends to be spliced, two rigid U-shapedmembers; each of said U-shaped member having its legs surrounding oneend of a belt to be spliced; each of said U-shaped members having acurved surface forming the bottom of the U interrupted by slots to forminterengaging fingers with said other U-shaped member; a hinge pinpassing through said interengaging fingers for holding the respectiveU-shaped members together; each of said U-shaped member having a firstattaching means fixing a portion of the belt to the U-shaped member sothat substantially no relative movement is allowed between the U-shapedmember, the belt and the first attaching means; and a second attachingmeans, further from the curved surface forming the bottom of the U thansaid first means, for allowing relative movement between the belt andthe U-shaped member while concurrently permitting the transfer of loadat the second attaching means.
 4. A fastener for splicing conveyorbelting and the like comprising: a U-shaped member adapted to beattached by an attaching means to one of the belt ends to be spliced,said U-shaped member comprising an upper plate and a lower plate and aslotted curved portion connecting said upper and lower plates, saidslotted curved portion being adapted to interengage with the curvedportion of at least one other U-shaped member, said upper plate and saidlower plate being adapted to engage the respective opposite faces of oneof the Ends of the belt to be spliced, said upper plate and lower plateeach having a plurality of orifices for receiving an attaching meanstherein, said orifices in each plate consisting of a first row oforifices and a second row of orifices, said second row being fartherfrom said curved portion than said first row and the orifice in saidsecond row being in the form of slots at an angle to the longitudinalaxis of a belt properly positioned in the space between said plates, theorifices in said first and second row in each plate being aligned withthe corresponding orifices in the other plate.
 5. A fastener accordingto claim 4 wherein some of the angled slots forming the second row areslanted in opposite directions so that rotational forces are balancedout.
 6. A fastener according to claim 4 wherein said first row oforifices are slightly staggered from each other in a longitudinaldirection along the belt.
 7. A fastener according to claim 4 wherein theangled slots of the second row of orifices are formed in one directionand a third row of slotted orifices farther from said curved portionthan said second row are slanted in the opposite direction from saidfirst row.
 8. A splice for conveyor belts and the like comprising: abelt with two ends to be spliced, at least two U-shaped members adaptedto be attached around the belt ends that are to be spliced, each of saidU-shaped members comprising an upper plate and a lower plate, said upperplate and said lower plate engaging the respective opposite faces of thebelt ends, said upper and lower plate being connected by a curvedportion forming the bottom of the U, said curved portion having slotscut therein to form interengaging fingers with said other U-shapedmember, a hinge pin passing through said interengaging fingers forholding the respective U-shaped members together, there being a firstrow of orifices close to the hinge pin in each of the U-shaped member''supper and lower plate, a rivet in each of said orifices and adapted toextend through said belt for the connecting of said upper and lowerplates with said belt, the cross section of each of said first orificesand its respective rivet being of such a configuration that under loadthere is substantially no relative movement allowed between said rivetsand the U-shaped member, there being a second row of orifices in each ofthe U-shaped member''s upper and lower plates in the form of elongatedslots further from the locking pin than said first row, said slots beingat an angle to the longitudinal axis of the belt, a rivet being receivedin each of said slots and extending through said belt, the slots beingof such sizes and so positioned that under load, relative movement ispermitted between said rivets and said U-shaped member concurrently withthe transfer of load therebetween at the second row of orifices.
 9. Asplice according to claim 8 wherein said first row of orifices andrivets are slightly staggered from each other in a longitudinaldirection along the belt.
 10. A splice according to claim 8 wherein someof the angled slots forming the second row of orifices are slanted inopposite directions so that rotational forces are balanced out.
 11. Asplice according to claim 8 wherein the angled slots of the second rowof orifices are formed in one direction and a third row of slottedorifices are formed farther from the locking pin than said second rowand slanted in the opposite direction from said first row.
 12. A spliceaccording to claim 8 wherein the slots in said upper and lower platesforming said interengaging fingers are curved in the portions of theslots farthest from the locking pins in order to reduce strainconcentrations.
 13. A splice for conveyor belts and the like comprising:a belt with two ends to be spliced, two rigid members adapted to beattached to the belt ends that are to be spliced, one rigid memberforming an uppeR plate and the other forming a lower plate, said upperplate and said lower plate engaging the respective opposite faces of thebelt ends, said upper plate and said lower plate each have a first tworows of orifices close to where the belt ends are positioned whenspliced, a rivet in each of said orifices adapted to extend through saidbelt for the connecting of said upper and lower plates with said belt,the cross section of each of said first two rows of orifices and itsrespective rivet being of such a configuration that under load there issubstantially no relative movement allowed between the rivets and thetwo rigid members, there being two additional rows of orifices in saidupper and lower plates in the form of elongated slots further from wherethe belt ends meet than said first rows, on either side of said firsttwo rows, and at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the belt, whereinthe slots are of such sizes and so positioned that relative movement ispermitted between said rivets, said belt and said rigid membersconcurrently with the transfer of load therebetween.